


Shelter from the Storm

by Erinjennifer09



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: EFA Fic Challenge 2018, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 06:32:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14636049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erinjennifer09/pseuds/Erinjennifer09
Summary: Waverly Earp has a plan. What happens when an unexpected storm threatens to derail everything?





	Shelter from the Storm

“Waverly, there are _eleven_ different blankets in this closet! Which one did you want, again?”

At the sound of her girlfriend’s voice, Waverly Earp stood up inside her red Jeep parked in front of the Earp homestead. It was a warm spring day, and she had removed the top, preferring to drive with the wind in her hair. The back of the vehicle held a pair of coolers. One contained the special picnic lunch she had packed for them, while the other was filled with a selection of beverages — beer for Nicole and sparkling water for herself. She had forgotten to grab a blanket for them to sit on and had sent Nicole back into the house to get one.

“The rainbow striped one with the fringe on the ends,” Waverly shouted back.

“It’s a blanket. It goes under your ass. What difference does it make?” Wynonna, asked, leaning over the porch railing.

Waverly glared at her sister.

“It matters,” she said tartly.

Wynonna shook her head and straightened. She opened her mouth to say something else but she was interrupted when Nicole Haught finally stepped out onto the porch with the requested blanket tucked under one arm.

“Hey, don’t talk about my girlfriend’s ass,” Nicole said, nudging the elder Earp sister playfully. “Only I get to do that.”

“Gross, dude,” Wynonna muttered, pretending to gag in disgust. “Get out of here before you two make me hurl with your truly revolting display of googly eyes.”

Laughing, Nicole continued down the steps and carefully tucked the blanket in the rear of the Jeep. She came over to the driver’s side first, leaning in to give Waverly a quick peck on the lips.

“All set, babe,” she said, circling around to the passenger seat and pulling herself in.

Waverly grinned at her and leaned across for a lingering kiss that left them both a little breathless.

“If you guys are gonna do that, then I’m gonna go inside. Maybe gouge my eyes out with a spoon,” Wynonna called down to them.

They broke apart, and Waverly tossed a smirk and a wave in her sister’s direction.

“Bye, Wynonna,” she sang as she started the Jeep and drove away from the homestead.

They sat together in comfortable silence for several miles before Waverly glanced sideways and caught Nicole staring at her. Heat crept up her cheeks as she blushed under the scrutiny.

“What are you doing?” Waverly asked, raising her voice over the sound of the air rushing past.

Nicole hiked one shoulder in an adorable shrug and grinned at her, putting her deep dimples on full display. The sun was hitting her just right, making her tousled red hair glow in a halo of light. Waverly squirmed slightly in her seat, trying to ignore the flutter of desire starting low in her belly. _Concentrate on the road, Waverly_ , she told herself.

“I’m just watching you drive,” Nicole answered finally.

Waverly shot her a curious look. “Why?”

Nicole shrugged again. “Because you’re beautiful,” she said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Waverly bit down on her lower lip as the tension in her stomach grew stronger and her blush deepened. She kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead, not trusting herself to look at Nicole again. One more glance into those warm brown eyes, and she might have to pull the Jeep over to make out on the side of the highway; and Waverly had other plans.

“You’re sweet,” she said. “But also _really_ distracting. So could you maybe not do that? At least until we get where we’re going?”

Nicole tossed her head back and laughed.

“Whatever you say, baby.”

Nicole reached for the radio, pushing buttons until she found the Classic Country station that she liked. Waverly rolled her eyes as her girlfriend cranked up the volume and began happily humming along to Johnny Cash.

“Oh, come on, Wave. Broaden your horizons a little. It can’t always be the Spice Girls,” she teased.

“Fiiiine,” Waverly replied with a mock pout.

Nicole gave her a victorious smirk and leaned back in her seat, eyeing the mountains in the distance. Her cocky grin turned into a slight frown, and she pulled her phone from her pocket and began tapping icons on the screen.

“Something wrong?” Wavely asked.

“Those look like storm clouds,” Nicole said, pointing to the thunderclouds hanging low beneath the tops of the mountains. “Are you sure it isn’t going to rain?”

Waverly nodded. Of course she was sure. She had checked three different weather reports and they had all said the same thing. Rain was on the way, but it wouldn’t be arriving until late that evening. If everything went according to plan, they would be home long before the storm hit. Besides, she asked herself, even if the rain showed up earlier than expected, was she really going to let that deter her? Nope, she decided. She wasn’t going to let the possibility of a little bit of weather spoil their picnic. Was she?

“It’s not gonna rain,” she said decisively, even as the first cold fingers of doubt began slithering up her spine. “It _can’t_ rain.”

Nicole gave her an odd look but didn’t press her further. Instead, she simply went back to listening to the music, tapping her fingers against the doorframe of the Jeep.

A few more miles passed with Nicole singing snippets of song lyrics and even prodding Waverly to join in occasionally. By the time they reached their destination, the uncertainty that had begun to coil itself inside her chest was gone and she felt relaxed and happy. But as the Jeep rolled to a stop beneath that familiar wrought iron archway that marked the entrance to the Ghost River Triangle, an icy wave of fear washed over her, and Waverly shuddered reflexively.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” she whispered.

Nicole sat up straighter in her seat and surveyed their surroundings curiously. Her eyes widened as recognition dawned on her, and she turned to Waverly in confusion and alarm.

“Waverly? Are you okay? Why are we here?”

Waverly tried to answer, but when she opened her mouth, no words would come. She could only manage a strangled moan. Trembling, she threw open her door and got out of the Jeep, stumbling forward until she was on the other side of the Triangle. Even though they had already confirmed that she had no revenant blood, she still half expected to burst into flames every time she crossed that line.

As she stood in the shadow of the arch, a cloud passed overhead, temporarily blocking the sun. Waverly shivered at the sudden chill that seemed to penetrate all the way down to her bones. Growing up in Purgatory, she’d heard all the stories and folklore, and she was pretty sure that this uncontrollable shiver had something to do with walking over a grave.

Behind her, she heard a door slam and then Nicole was beside her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Waverly buried her face against her girlfriend’s shoulder and breathed in the warm, slightly spicy scent that was unmistakably Nicole. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stem the tears building behind them. Nicole’s lips brushed the top of her head, murmuring soothing words that Waverly couldn’t quite make out.

Waverly pulled away, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. The sun peeked out again, casting warmth and light down on them, and Waverly sighed as its rays chased away the shadows that threatened to engulf them both. She gave Nicole a rueful, shaky smile and exhaled slowly.

“Sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I promised you a fun afternoon and I’m not exactly holding up my end of the deal, am I?”

Nicole’s eyebrows were scrunched together in concern and she swept her gaze across the landscape again, taking in the sun-dappled fields and the grove of tall poplar trees. Her eyes lingered on the crumbling stone wall and the rusting metal arch above them. She turned to Waverly again, clearly puzzled.

“Why here, Waves?” She asked again.

Waverly gave her a tiny shrug and dipped her chin down to her chest.

“I...I like it here. Liked it here,” she corrected. “ _Before_.”

She glanced up through her eyelashes and saw Nicole waiting patiently for her to continue.

“This was a happy place once. Before Willa died. Before I touched the goo,” Waverly explained. “Mama used to bring us here. It’s one of the only _good_ family memories I have. I thought...if I brought you here...”

“That we could make this a happy place again?” Nicole finished after Waverly had trailed off.

Waverly nodded without looking up.

“It’s stupid,” she said dejectedly.

She tried to turn away, but Nicole seized her upper arm and spun her back around, ducking her head down to try to look into Waverly’s eyes.

“Hey, look at me. Please,” Nicole implored.

Nicole sighed and continued when Waverly remained silent.

“It’s not stupid, Waverly. It’s beautiful. Just like you. And I would do anything to help you make some happy memories here again. Okay?”

With two fingers, Nicole tilted her chin up and kissed her gently. Somehow, Nicole always knew exactly what she needed, and Waverly reached up to tangle her fingers in soft, red locks, hungrily pulling Nicole closer.

Their kiss deepened and the space between them vanished as Nicole’s hands found Waverly’s hips and drew them against her own. Her tongue slid across Waverly’s bottom lip, and Waverly groaned, opening her mouth to allow entry.

Finally, Nicole broke the kiss, panting slightly and resting her forehead against Waverly’s.

“Well, that was fun,” she said with a wink and a cheeky grin. “Now, how ‘bout that picnic, huh?”

Nicole held out her hand. Waverly took it, lacing their fingers together, and allowed Nicole to lead her back to the Jeep. Together, they unloaded the vehicle and set up their picnic lunch near a clump of trees while Nicole kept up a steady stream of chatter about safe and non-threatening topics. She marveled over Jeremy’s latest experiment. She regaled Waverly with stories about the raccoon that kept breaking into Sheila Adams’ basement. Her enthusiasm over joining the Purgatory Sheriff Department’s softball team was infectious, and Waverly couldn’t help smiling at the excitement shining in her girlfriend’s eyes.

Laughing, Waverly kicked off her shoes and stretched out on the blanket, wiggling her toes in the warmth from the sun. After grabbing a beer for herself and a water for Waverly, Nicole laid down beside her and propped herself up on her elbows. Waverly scooted closer and rested her head on Nicole’s chest, losing herself in the slow and steady beat of her girlfriend’s heart. As Nicole stroked her hair, she began to haltingly tell stories of her own.

With a wistful smile, she reminisced about the games her mother had taught them here, and how Wynonna had always let her win. She pointed to the tree that Wynonna had climbed and promptly fallen out of, spraining her ankle and splitting her lip in the process. Nicole snorted so hard that beer spurted from her nose, making Waverly giggle. Her expression darkened as she told Nicole the story about Willa finding an injured baby bird. Willa had wanted to kill it, but Waverly had snatched it away from her and run into the woods. Hours had passed before her mother and sisters found her huddled and crying beneath a tree.

The first fat raindrops hit Waverly in the face, and she bolted upright, startled. They’d been so engrossed in each other that neither of them had noticed the dark clouds that had snuck in, blotting out the sun. Within seconds, the skies opened up above them and rain poured down. Nicole swiftly rolled to her feet and helped Waverly up, and they both ran towards the cover of a nearby tree.

“Oh, fudgenuggets,” Waverly cried out as they squeezed together beneath the canopy of branches. “I swear it wasn’t supposed to rain until later!”

Nicole shrugged, shoving her dripping hair away from her face.

“I guess Mother Nature had other ideas?”

Waverly let out an exasperated sigh. “But it wasn’t supposed to be like this! I wanted everything to be perfect!”

Nicole blinked, taken aback by her outburst.

“It’s just a spring storm, Wave,” she said carefully. “I’m sure it’ll be over in a few minutes.”

Waverly shook her head, staring angrily up at the sky. Rivulets of rainwater ran down from the leaves above them, falling on their head and shoulders. Their clothes were soaked, and Waverly shivered as goosebumps rose on her bare skin. Nicole reached for her. Waverly shrugged her hand off and turned away, but not before catching the look of hurt and confusion in Nicole’s eyes. She cursed loudly.

“It’s not _just_ a storm, Nicole! There’s _always_ a storm! My whole damn life has been like waiting for a storm to break! Daddy! Willa! Then Wynonna, she...she just left! I mean, yeah...she came back. But for how long? What if she breaks the curse and just decides to leave again?”

“Waverly, Wynonna would _never_ leave you,” Nicole said emphatically. “There’s still a lot I don’t really get about you Earps, but I know how much you mean to your sister. Wynonna loves you. She would never leave you behind again.”

Waverly tried to gather herself, cursing again as hot tears spilled down her cheeks, mingling with the rain. Nicole was right, of course. She knew that, and her cheeks burned with guilt and shame. She sucked in a ragged breath.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just...I had everything planned so carefully. I wanted this to be perfect, and I thought...” she continued, quieter. “I thought maybe, just this once, things might go my way. Instead of...instead of everything turning to _shit_!”

Waverly paused and reached into the pocket of her jeans. Images flashed through her mind. Nicole, leaning up against the doorway at Shorty’s, hat in her hand. Practically daring her to kiss her on the couch in the sheriff’s office. In that purple dress, waiting for her to descend the stairs. Picking her up, strong yet gentle, and carefully laying her down on the bed the first time they were really together. Cradling her on the floor of the barn after that awful night when she’d been de-tentacled.

She exhaled as a strange calm settled over her. Maybe this was right, after all. Maybe this storm that had swept down upon them for a reason. Maybe Mother Nature was telling her that this was _exactly_ the way it was supposed to be. In the alternate universe, Nicole had told her a story about standing on the edge of the cliff, and Waverly was suddenly sure that this storm had arrived for the sole purpose of pushing her towards that precipice.

Nicole was still watching her, baffled and speechless, and Waverly smiled at her through her tears. She pulled her fist from her pocket, keeping it closed, and took Nicole’s hand before sinking to her knees, ignoring the mud and rain seeping through the fabric.

“W-Waverly? What are you doing?”

Waverly took a deep breath and sensed the edge of the cliff beneath her feet. She closed her eyes and leapt.

“This isn’t exactly how I imagined this, but maybe it’s perfect? I told you that I’ve spent my entire life waiting for a storm. Waiting for all that thunder and destruction to rain down on me. And...because of that, I was always too afraid to live my own life. To _really_ live it. Until I met you.”

Waverly bit down on her lip, gathering her courage.

“Nicole, you’re the first person that’s ever made me feel safe. Being with you...it’s like being in the eye of a hurricane, you know? It’s like, everything might be getting blown to hell around us, but you and me? We’re in this perfect little circle of calm.”

“Wave,” Nicole began, shaking her head, but Waverly plunged forward.

“I don’t know what the future holds,” Waverly said. “Probably more demons. Who am I kidding? Definitely more demons. But...I know that when I picture the future, I see us. Together.”

Slowly, Waverly opened her hand, revealing the ring in the center of her palm.

“So I guess what I’m asking is, Nicole Haught, will you marry me?”

Blinking the rain from her eyes, Nicole shook her head again.

“Wave, no...this isn’t...” she broke off.

Waverly sat back on her heels, stunned. Her heart felt like it had plummeted into her stomach. She couldn’t breathe. Her vision swam, and a hollow roaring filled her ears. Nicole’s lips were still moving, but Waverly couldn’t hear a word she was saying.

Suddenly, Nicole seemed to realize the reason for Waverly’s shaken silence. Her eyes widened in horror and she dropped to her knees in front of Waverly and pressed her girlfriend’s hand to her lips.

“Oh, God. Waverly...no. I didn’t mean...” Nicole sputtered.

She raked a hand through her tangled hair and sighed, giving Waverly a wry grin. Swallowing hard, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring of her own.

“This isn’t exactly how I pictured this moment either,” she admitted.

Waverly clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to hold back the relieved sob. Nicole smiled at her tenderly and brushed strands of bedraggled brunette hair away from Waverly’s face.

“So, is that a yes?” Nicole asked.

Waverly’s vision blurred for a completely different reason this time. Her eyes filled with tears of joy and the elation was making her dizzy. She tried to speak, but could only produce a high-pitched squeak. Instead, she settled for nodding vigorously.

Nicole let out a little sigh of relief, beaming at her and flashing the dimples that frequently made Waverly’s heart skip in her chest. Her hand trembled just a bit as she held up the ring and slid it onto Waverly’s finger.

“Now, I believe you’ve got one of those for me, right?” Nicole prompted, holding up her hand expectantly and arching an impish eyebrow. “Oh, my answer was yes, by the way. Absolutely, one hundred percent yes. I _really_ want to marry you, Waverly Earp.”

With a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob, Waverly launched herself forward. Nicole caught her as she barreled into her chest, wrapping her arms around Waverly before they both tumbled to the ground. Their lips crashed together in a passionate kiss, and Waverly gasped when Nicole’s fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt and slowly trailed up her sides.

Waverly drew back, her eyes searching Nicole’s face. Nicole was drenched. Her hair was matted and plastered to her forehead. There was a streak of mud smeared high across one cheek. Still, she was the most beautiful woman Waverly had ever seen. Nicole looked up at her quizzically, but Waverly just smiled at her and bent her head down to kiss her again.

“Hey, Wave,” Nicole said, turning her head to the side. “As much as I would love to lie here and kiss you forever, this rain is kind of cold, and there are certain body parts that I would really prefer not to get all full of mud. Maybe we should get out of this storm? Find some shelter?”

Waverly shook her head. She held Nicole’s face between her hands and looked deep into her eyes. A slow smile curved the corners of Nicole’s lips, and her eyes shone with so much love that Waverly thought she might drown in them.

“Haven’t you been listening, silly?” Waverly murmured, capturing Nicole’s lips with her own once more. “You _are_ my shelter from the storm.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> So that was my submission for the EFA Fic Challenge with the prompt of rain. Hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Huge thank you to my wife for encouraging me to do this and for always reading my stuff.
> 
> If you want, you can come say hi on Twitter @PoptartGinger


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